This years Highlights issue includes nearly 40 stories covering a variety
of disciplines in the earth sciences  all aimed at giving you a snapshot
of some big news and trends in the field. Some disciplines are new to the issue,
some overlap with one another, and some continue from where they left off last
year. An interesting thread that runs through many of the stories is the enormous
impact the Mars exploration missions are having on the earth science landscape.
The past year has been an exciting one for the geosciences, and we hope that
these brief snapshots will bring home that excitement and help you make some
connections across the various fields and into current events.